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21 Jun 2004 : Column 1253W—continued
Gender Pay Gap
Mr. Denham: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of the pay gap between men and women employed by his Department and its agencies in (a) Southampton, (b) Eastleigh, (c) Winchester and (d) Romsey. [171636]
Mr. Pond: There is no official assessment made of pay differentials between men and women employed by the Department and its agencies in the specific geographical areas referred to. The following table and associated notes show an analysis of mean salaries of staff working in DWP offices in the Southampton area by gender. This analysis shows that the mean salary of a man is 98.7 per cent. of the mean salary of a woman.
| Male | Female | Difference (percentage) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total staff in post | 164.7 | 406.2 | — |
| Total basic salary (£) | 2,746,425 | 6,856,672 | — |
| Mean salary (£) | 16,663 | 16,882 | 1.31 |
Notes:
1. The Southampton Area table shows salaries for staff in workplaces with an "SO" post code prefix. This includes Southampton, Eastleigh, Hythe, Romsey, Totton, Woolston, and Winchester.
2. Salaries have been calculated on the basis of "Whole Time Equivalents", meaning full time staff count as one and part time staff count as a proportion of one depending on their work pattern. Salaries are accordingly pro-rated on the basis of the work pattern. The salaries used are basic rates excluding allowances, overtime and any employer's contributions for NI or occupational pensions.
3. The percentage difference has been calculated by dividing the value of the difference into the lower mean salary. This calculation shows that the mean salary of women is 1.31 per cent. higher than the mean salary of men.
The gender differential in DWP overall is that men earn on average 4.8 per cent. more than women. This figure is calculated using the salaries of all staff within DWP excluding the Senior Civil Service. The differences between male and female mean salaries change by grade. In the administrative grades that predominate in DWP offices, such as those in the Southampton area, female mean salaries are higher. In the executive grades, male mean salaries are higher. In the Southampton area, 93 per cent. of staff are in Bands A/AA, B/AO and C/EO. Looking at the comparable selection for DWP overall the gender differential is 1.39 per cent. with women earning more than men.
The Equal Opportunities Commission (EOC) suggests that, as a general guide, any gender differences of 5 per cent. or more, or patterns of differences of 3 per cent. or more will require exploration and explanation. The Department for Work and Pensions are committed to reviewing their pay policies to ensure that they are compliant with the current equal pay legislation and do not either directly or indirectly discriminate against any group of employees. An Equal Pay Audit is currently being undertaken to review existing policies and to inform the development of the departmental reward strategy.
All jobs that relate to the grades mentioned above are gender-neutral, that is, there is no reason why they should not be performed by men or women. There is therefore no likelihood of any gender-based variances being due to the requirement for work to be performed by staff of a particular gender.
Source:
DWP "Dataview" for December 2003 extracted from FAMIS and Rebus payroll systems.
21 Jun 2004 : Column 1254W
Mr. Graham Cotton
Mr. John Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will take steps to resolve the case of Mr. Graham Cotton of Olton in Solihull, a Qa pensioner who has not received his compensation. [176232]
Malcolm Wicks: We cannot comment on individual cases but have much sympathy with those who have lost out through the closure of occupational pension schemes.
That is why we have introduced the Pension Protection Fund. The Pension Protection Fund forms part of a substantial and balanced package of measures. It will significantly improve both protection for pension scheme members and confidence in pensions in general.
On the question of financial assistance for those who will not be covered by the Pension Protection Fund, I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 7 June 2004, Official Report, column 82W.
New Deal
Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much was spent by his Department on the New Deal for young people in Greater London in (a) 2002 and (b) 2003. [177059]
Jane Kennedy:
The available information is in the table.
21 Jun 2004 : Column 1255W
| £ million | |
|---|---|
| 2001–02 | 25.007 |
| 2002–03 | 32.959 |
| 2003–04 | (23)50.563 |
(23) Forecast outturn.
Notes:
1. Information is for financial rather than calendar years.
2. Figures are only available for the Jobcentre Plus London region, rather than the Greater London local authority area.
Source:
Jobcentre Plus Finance Division.
21 Jun 2004 : Column 1256W
Mr. Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what percentage of participants left the New Deal for Young People for sustained jobs in each quarter since the start of the programme. [177906]
Jane Kennedy: The information is in the table.
| Quarter | Number leaving New Deal for Young People | of which to a known destination | Number entering sustained employment | Percentage leaving to sustained employment | Percentage (with a known destination) leaving to sustained employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January to March 1998 | 2,040 | 1,630 | 1,040 | 51.05 | 64.03 |
| April to June 1998 | 13,640 | 10,600 | 7,440 | 54.57 | 70.21 |
| July to September 1998 | 29,440 | 22,520 | 14,080 | 47.82 | 62.53 |
| October to December 1998 | 33,000 | 23,840 | 14,160 | 42.91 | 59.40 |
| January to March 1999 | 39,920 | 28,060 | 15,970 | 40.01 | 56.92 |
| April to June 1999 | 46,280 | 32,940 | 19,580 | 42.30 | 59.44 |
| July to September 1999 | 56,390 | 41,390 | 22,800 | 40.44 | 55.09 |
| October to December 1999 | 53,390 | 39,190 | 20,640 | 38.66 | 52.66 |
| January to March 2000 | 51,550 | 37,930 | 19,780 | 38.37 | 52.14 |
| April to June 2000 | 50,110 | 36,190 | 20,810 | 41.53 | 57.50 |
| July to September 2000 | 53,980 | 39,330 | 21,900 | 40.57 | 55.69 |
| October to December 2000 | 42,990 | 31,100 | 16,610 | 38.62 | 53.39 |
| January to March 2001 | 47,100 | 34,020 | 18,150 | 38.53 | 53.34 |
| April to June 2001 | 45,220 | 32,100 | 18,220 | 40.29 | 56.76 |
| July to September 2001 | 46,080 | 32,450 | 17,790 | 38.61 | 54.81 |
| October to December 2001 | 36,900 | 25,640 | 13,280 | 35.98 | 51.78 |
| January to March 2002 | 38,920 | 26,560 | 13,500 | 34.69 | 50.83 |
| April to June 2002 | 42,300 | 28,770 | 15,830 | 37.41 | 55.01 |
| July to September 2002 | 45,890 | 31,460 | 16,680 | 36.34 | 53.00 |
| October to December 2002 | 38,520 | 25,720 | 13,290 | 34.50 | 51.68 |
| January to March 2003 | 41,190 | 26,930 | 13,110 | 31.83 | 48.69 |
| April to June 2003 | 43,670 | 28,870 | 15,710 | 35.98 | 54.43 |
| July to September 2003 | 48,100 | 32,230 | 17,000 | 35.35 | 52.76 |
| October to December 2003 | 48,670 | 31,890 | 17,620 | 36.21 | 55.26 |
Note:
Figures are rounded to the nearest 10.
Source:
New Deal Evaluation Database, DWP Information and Analysis Directorate.
Mr. Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many starts there have been on each of the four New Deal options since the introduction of the New Deal for Young People; how many have moved into sustained unsubsidised employment; and what proportion this is of starts on each programme. [177911]
Jane Kennedy: The information is in the table.
| New Deal for Young People option | Total Starts | Total sustained unsubsidised jobs | Proportion of jobs from starts (percentage) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Employment option | 79,510 | 33,270 | 42 |
| Education and training option | 173,860 | 46,800 | 27 |
| Voluntary sector option | 103,380 | 28,990 | 28 |
| Environmental task force option | 103,310 | 27,680 | 27 |
(24) Data to the end of December 2003.
Source:
New Deal Evaluation Database, DWP Information and Analysis Directorate
New Deal
Mr. Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people have taken up the New Deal 50 plus employment credit in each (a) month, (b) quarter and (c) other period for which figures are collected, since the scheme was introduced. [177968]
Jane Kennedy: The information is in the tables.
21 Jun 2004 : Column 1257W
Quarter | Number of employment credit starts |
|---|---|
| April to June 2000 | 7,170 |
| July to September 2000 | 8,310 |
| October to December 2000 | 9,350 |
| January to March 2001 | 8,190 |
| April to June 2001 | 9,100 |
| July to September 2001 | 9,100 |
| October to December 2001 | 8,700 |
| January to March 2002 | 7,060 |
| April to June 2002 | 8,340 |
| July to September 2002 | 8,150 |
| October to December 2002 | 8,280 |
| January to March 2003 | 6,300 |
| Total | 98,040 |
Notes:
1. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10. Figures for each quarter may not sum to the total for individual months due to rounding.
2. From April 2003, the employment credit was replaced by the 50 plus return to work element of working tax credit.
Source:
New Deal Evaluation Database
Mr. Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many partners have been invited to attend an interview under the New Deal for Partners scheme; how many attended an interview; how many of those ended up participating in the programme; and how many attained sustained jobs as a result. [178875]
Jane Kennedy:
The effective date for the phased introduction of work focused interviews for partners (WFIP) in Jobcentre Plus areas was 12 April 2004. WFIP processes started as planned on this date and the interviews are now taking place. Information on how many partners have been invited to and attended a work
21 Jun 2004 : Column 1258W
focused interview for partners, and how many have gone on to join the New Deal for Partners and found work, is currently not available. Information is expected to be available in the autumn.
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